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| Index No. F7314 | Rare French Revolution Verge |
| A very rare late 18th Century French verge combining both 24 hour and decimal time dials in a silver consular case. Full plate gilt fusee movement. Pierced and engraved bridge cock with steel coqueret, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring. Silver regulator dial with gilt indicator hand, Round pillars. Signed white enamel dial with two sets of markings, three blue steel hands. At the outer edge of the dial are the marking for a conventional 24 hour dial, the hours numbered one to twelve twice in Roman numerals and the minutes marked to sixty in red at the quarters. Within this is marked the decimal dial. Here the decimal hours are marked one to ten in Arabic numerals and the minutes marked in red Arabic numerals every tem minutes to a hundred. One hand indicates the hour for both standards while the smaller of the two minute hands is used for the decimal system and the larger for the 24 hour system. Plain silver consular case. | ||
| Signed | Dufour Jol & Compagnie | |
| Circa | 1795 | |
| Diameter | 53 mm | ||
| A fine and rare watch. The revolutionary system for time and calendar were adopted by the Convention in 1793. This sought to rationalize all measurement into units of ten. This was never widely accepted for clocks and calendars and was abandoned by Napoleon in 1810. Few examples of watches using the Revolutionary system were made and most of these have been destroyed or converted. Of those known indicating dual times most use two separate chapters or dials. This example may be unique in using three concentrically mounted hands to show both. It is very fortunate and surprising this watch has survived without damage or alteration to the dial. See Pocket Watches by Reinhard Mieis page 111. |
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